Nonito Donaire finished his fight with Nicholas Walters by crumpling face-first to the canvas. It was a jarring sight, especially given that it is strange enough to witness Donaire on the losing end via the scorecards. It left me wondering what ‘The Filipino Flash’ has left to fight for in this unflinching sport of ours.
Donaire has won alphabet titles at many weights, from flyweight to featherweight, and his resume reads like a who’s who of the lower weight classes; Vic Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Omar Narvaez, Toshiaki Nishioka, Simpiwe Vetyeka. This list of successes proves that Donaire really has nothing left to prove. He has occupied the number one slot in so many different divisions, and dazzled us time and again with his unique style of quick-handed boxing.
His defeat to Guillermo Rigondeaux will not be airbrushed from history – he just lost to an exceptionally skilled boxer. It takes little away from Donaire to say he lost to one of the best pure boxers in the world in his time. That fight will be used as a measuring stick to remind us all of how good Rigondeaux was, rather than to critique Donaire.
Donaire has done all that could have been asked of him and then some, but his defeat to Walters can be traced back to a run of form that has been questionable since he left bantamweight. Two points wins over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr and Jeffrey Mathebula led some to query if Donaire had brought his power up with him to super bantamweight. Impressive stoppages of worn men such as Nishioka and Jorge Arce seemed to quell such fears, but the one-sided defeat to Rigondeaux led Donaire to move up yet another weight.
It was then that the proverbial chickens came home to roost. His first fight at featherweight; a rematch with Darchinyan, saw Donaire behind on the cards as he pulled out a crucial ninth round finish in his favour. That was followed up by a controversial win over Simpiwe Vetyeka before the defeat to Walters last weekend. Donaire has not looked as great as he once was in any of his three featherweight contests. Is it a case of him moving up one too many weight classes? In this writer’s opinion, partly yes.
In addition to weight-based issues, Donaire’s plight can also be attributed to his age. At 31, Donaire is reaching the veteran stage for lower-weight fighters. We must also honour Walters’ performance by noting that clearly the Jamaican puncher is of significant quality himself, and he would probably have beaten a younger, fresher and better version of Donaire.
All in all, Donaire has three options of differing levels of allure, depending on his tendency at this point. The first option is to retire. This allows Donaire to walk away from the sport with great memories not too far in the past. This will prevent any further decline and defeat that could sully such memories, and Donaire’s smile and charm would be welcomed ringside at all major boxing events.
The second option is to remain at featherweight and rematch Simpiwe Vetyeka. Donaire promised the South African a rematch following his controversial technical win, which was the result of a cut. Vetyeka has not fought since and little has been heard of him, so this fight would be beneficial to both men in getting their respective careers back on track.
The third and final option is for Donaire to drop back down to super bantamweight, where his speed and power may be more prominent. It’s easy for someone like me to suggest – I’m not the one that would have to cut the extra weight, but if it’s possible there are some great fights there for Donaire to get involved in. The UK scene is heating up with Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg emerging, and Stateside Leo Santa Cruz has come to the fore. Quigg and Santa Cruz particularly have styles that could play into Donaire’s fast hands. It could also be worth investigating the chance of a rematch with Rigondeaux, after all, the Cuban has not exactly been flush with offers since their first meeting.
So there are opportunities still for Donaire to redeem himself, but his legacy is secure regardless. If possible a move down would be recommended, but if not Donaire could just as easily retire and no-one would accuse him of avoiding anything or anyone. Donaire has so often left great men in a semi-conscious state on the canvas, now it is he who suffers this fate. It’s the circle of boxing, and Donaire must now quietly assess if he is up for another go-around.
